Monday, January 25, 2010

let the sun shine

Well, it's not exactly sunshine-y outside, but it's less pouring rain-y than it was last week, so I'll take it. Although I'm happy that more showers are headed our way tomorrow, because, let's face it: SoCal needs all the rain we can get. Although we also need to figure out a way to trap this water, make it clean, and then use it while we're in a drought. But I digress.

I wanted to say thanks for everyone's very cool and incredibly supportive comments on my last couple posts - my 2009 post was a little bit brutally honest and I was really worried that my 2010 post was going to scare the crap out of most of you. And then, of course, there was my Haiti/suicide post, which I'm sure livened up everyone's day. So I'm letting the sun shine back in for this post because even though a lot of us get the January blues, there's still plenty of love and laughter to go around.

There's also some really good news too - if any of you had a chance to vote for the first online suicide prevention network in Chase's Community giveaway, it came in third place and won $100,000! They also now have over 7,000 volunteers who want to help make I'mAlive a reality. Writing that post about my acquaintance's suicide was tough - but I got through it, and a lot of that was because of all of your incredibly kind and brave comments. You guys all rock.

On a more personal blog note, I am very grateful to announce that I won a blog giveaway hosted by the adorable Carissa over at The Lovely Dove. She's been blogging for just over a year (and I just got to meet her in person at the SoCal Blogger's Brunch, so I feel twice as blessed) and to celebrate she gave away a beautiful desktop calendar, a cute little journal, and a very cool handwoven bracelet that I'm pretty sure I'm never going to take off. You can check out the stuff here and please, if you get a chance, do stop by Carissa's and say hi. And tell her I sent you :)

...and the mission, should I choose to accept it, is to pass it along to three other bloggers and write ten things that make me happy. And since we're all kind of fighting off the January Sucks, I thought I'd make a happiness advice list so that everyone can try these Get Happy tips.

1) Have an impromptu picnic - grab your favorite food to-go and eat it in in a grassy park with your socks and shoes off. Don't put on your Ipod, that's cheating. Just enjoy the sunshine and people watch in the park.

2) Smile at five complete strangers for no other reason than the fact that we're all in this together. If they scowl instead of smile, rest assured that three hours later they will feel like an idiot for not smiling back.

3) Celebrate Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day - it's today, Monday, January 25th, and no, I'm not making that up - by pouncing on some bubble wrap that you have lying around and popping it until you feel better about life. Or until you run out, whichever happens first.

4) Buy your friend, roommate, girlfriend, boyfriend, mom, dad, favorite sibling or mortal enemy flowers for no reason at all, and have them sent to the office to brighten his or her entire week.

5) Loan a friend a book you think they'd like. Tell them why.

6) Let someone have the right of way while driving. Even if you're 100 percent sure you had the right of way and that the person you let in might be a total idiot. Let them in anyways. Then breathe deeply.

7) Blow bubbles. I promise you that blowing bubbles with a $1 bottle of bubble solution is one of the fastest and cheapest ways to get happy.

8) If you feel safe enough to do so, buy a homeless person coffee and a muffin. It's what I do instead of giving cash (which I usually don't have anyways) and homeless people appreciate the human interaction, even if they can't always show it.

9) Forgive someone. Even if they don't deserve it. YOU deserve it. And no, you don't have to tell them.

10) Go to the dog park. Bring dog treats and watch your popularity skyrocket. (Just make sure the owners are cool with you spoiling their dogs' appetites!)

And I pass along this award to three of the most upbeat people I know:

I adore all three of these girls for their upbeat perspectives on life and how awesomely kick-ass they are in their own ways. (Come to think of it, two of them know martial arts and a third probably boxes like a pro. Coincidence? Probably not.)

First, I want to tell you that I look forward to your very honest, very human posts.

Second, I love your list!! :)

Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day?? Awesome!! I once wrapped myself in bubble wrap I had left over from packing and rolled around on the floor in it, listening to it pop, and laughing from the dizziness and silliness of it all. So much fun!

I love your list!!! All 10 things would make any person happy. And if not they have something seriously wrong with them. Thank you so much for passing the award my way. Make me second guess my post for today because its beautiful women like you that make blogging totally worth it!!! Love you tons!!! XOXO

Thank you so much for the shout out!!! I happened to read this precisely at a moment when I am feeling incredibly NOT upbeat, nor awesome, nor any other related synonyms. So, thank you for bringing some happy to my uphill battle against "January sucks, and this year is supposed to be infinitely better than last".

Aww. Thanks so much for the shout out. :) You're wonderful, too! And, regardless of the heaviness of some of your posts, you always give such a kind and thoughtful perspective on the large and small events of life.

PS. You know, I often smile at random strangers - far more than five a day - and you would be surprised how many people in LA think I'm a crazy person for that. Heheh.

I am a new follower and am enjoying reading your blog. I am sitting here with tears streaming down my face. My brother, my little brother killed himself in April...so thank you for posting this. Thank you for what you have done and what you will do. The world needs more people like you. I really hope you will follow me back. I have written about my brother a couple times he died on APril 13th..so I have a post called CRUSHED around then...but I am going to post a big blog very soon. I am doing some great giveaways and reviews so I am trying to figure out how to put it all down with respect to me, my feelings and my blog but not scare away companies too ha ha.

I love your list, you were very honest and I really look forward to getting to know you better. Juliana~A Blonde Walks Into A Blog

I'm sorry, but Dave's comment made me laugh out loud.Probably because it went through my mind that if someone as cute as you smiled at 5 strangers you'd probably have to call the cops to get rid of them!

Congrats on the award and your sunshiny "things to make you happy" list is lovely. I can maybe do 3 of them, if I'm lucky.

what a great get happy list!! I love every idea on it! January can be a bit of a downer at times but at least it is almost over! haha. hopefully February will be better, and if not, I'll just remember your list.

oh, and I totally agree with you on the needing to take all that water that came pouring down and making it usable! for some reason, it's just not that easy... but really, I'm tired of writing articles about water rates going up! (wrote another one last week!)

and thanks for the shout out. you're so sweet. and you're package is on its way... you should be getting it soon...! :)

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you should probably know...

Unless otherwise noted, I took all the pictures on this blog. I happen to think they're slightly decent, so if you want to use one, just go ahead and ask nicely (and promise to give me credit), and I'll probably say yes. Except for the pictures of my mom, because that's just weird.

i am a little church/no great cathedral

If I cannot dance, I want no part in your revolution

words to live by

One must still have chaos in oneself to be able to give birth to a dancing star. --Nietzsche